Saturday, July 30, 2016

Exciting, emotional, intense. The thrilling follow-up to New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak's highly acclaimed The Secret Sister. The things that happen in families are always surprising and sometimes shocking!

Keith bears scars—both physical and emotional—from his childhood, but he's worked hard to overcome the past. After walking away from his mother and her controlling ways five years ago, he's built a new life in LA. He's also accumulated a fortune of his own. But as soon as he learns of his mother's death, he returns to Fairham. He feels he owes it to his grandfather to put the family empire together again—and he's determined to find his mother's killer.

Problem is…coming home to Fairham puts him back in contact with Nancy Dellinger, the woman he hurt so badly when he left before. And digging that deep into his mother's final days and hours entails a very real risk.

This is my first book by Brenda Novak. I knew this was going to be the second book in the series but I didn't want to wait any longer to read a book by her. I have heard positive things about her books and I was hoping I was going to like her writing. I certainly did. I started The Secrets She Kept and I didn't put it down until I was done.

The story centers around a dysfunctional family living in Fairham Island. When Josephine Lazarow is found dead, Keith, her son travels from LA back to his childhood home. It has been five years since he has had any contact with her but he knows he must be there for his two sisters. He's a successful businessman now but in the past, he was nothing but a drug addict.

Keith Lazarow is sure that his mother was murdered and he's determined to stay until he can get the answers he's seeking. He's also ashamed of the way he mistreated Nancy Dellinger, the woman who helped him when he was at his worst and whom he repaid by stealing money from.

Nancy has never moved on after Keith left her. She recently has started online dating but so far she's not attracted to any of the guys she's dating. She knows that the death of Josephine, who's also her employer, is going to bring Keith back into her life. She knows she should avoid him but he makes it hard for her to do it when all he wants is forgiveness and to spend time with her before he leaves back to LA.

Keith, with the help of his sisters, the police, and Nancy, is determined to unravel the mystery surrounding his mother's death. Soon, some of the clues start pointing to someone close to him.

I like the way Mrs. Novak pieced together the story line. I was impressed by Keith's determination with both, the truth about his mother's death and fixing past mistakes with Nancy.

The Secrets She Kept has intrigue, romance, and suspense. I want to go back and read the first one in the series and I'm hoping the next book comes out soon too.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Friday, July 29, 2016

Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner inLauren Layne’s sizzling brand-new contemporary romance series The Wedding Belles, about three ambitious wedding planners who can make any bride’s dream come true but their own. Leading us down the aisle with the first in the series, To Have and to Hold, Lauren Layne will rouse summer lists with a reception line of great reading as she “produces winner after winner” (Fiction Vixen).

She’s going after a second chance at life…

Discovering her fiancé is an international con man just moments before they exchange vows devastates celebrity wedding planner Brooke Baldwin’s business—and breaks her heart. Brooke thinks she’s found a fresh start in NYC with the Belles and her first bridal client, a sweet hotel heiress. Then she meets the uptight businessman who’s holding the purse strings.

But will she miss out on another shot at love?

Seth Tyler wishes he could write a blank check and be done with his sister Maya’s wedding. Unfortunately, micromanaging the event is his only chance at proving that Maya’s fiancé is a liar. Standing in his way is the stunning blond wedding planner who’s hell-bent on a comeback mission—and who both irritates and arouses him. Can he persuade her to unplan a wedding? And more importantly, how will he convince her that the wedding she should be planning…is theirs?

To Have and to Holdwill have readers engaged from the start, and wedded to the idea of a summer and fall season filled with Wedding Belles!

“This engaging tale has a light, fun style…enough teases are given about the other “Wedding Belles” to create genuine interest in where their stories lead.”

—Publishers Weekly (To Have and to Hold)

“There are family and friends, coworkers, people that aren’t as they seem, wedding information galore, dinners, drinks, chocolate, fear, anger, hurt, sadness, secrets, lies, deceit, tears, laughter, happiness, romance, loving and love. There is nice closure…This is only the second book of Layne’s that I have read. I look forward to reading the next two books in the series, FOR BETTER OR WORSE and TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH. There was an excerpt from book two FOR BETTER OR WORSE, at the back of the book that just whet my appetite for more. I look forward to seeing what the Wedding Belles will be up to next!”

—Romance Junkies (To Have and to Hold)

This book was sweet! I love romance and this one had all the right ingredients!

Lauren Layne has become one of my must-read authors. Her stories are fun, sexy and they always have great secondary characters.

Meet Brooke Baldwin and Seth Tyler:

Brooke Baldwin has moved to NYC after her almost wedding debacle. To Brooke's dismay, her fiancée is carried away in handcuffs for white-collar crimes just before they exchanged vows. Soon after, she realizes her life as a wedding planner in LA is done. She needs a new beginning and joining The Wedding Belles is the answer to her prayers.

Her first job as part of The Wedding Belles is to plan the wedding of Maya Tyler. She is excited about the prospect until she meets the brother of the bride, Seth Tyler.

Seth is determined to keep her sister from making a mistake. His gut instinct is telling him her sister's fiancée is not the right person for her. He believes his hiding something and in order to find out what it is, he is willing to participate in every meeting related to the wedding. There is just one huge problem, he has the hots for the wedding planner.

Reading To Have and To Hold was refreshing. I liked that Lauren Layne is able to web such a good base for the series on her first installment. She gives us enough details on the secondary characters to make us want to know more about their lives. I want to know why Alexis is kind of a robot when she could be having a relationship with a certain hot British accountant or I can't wait to see Heather fall in love for the first time.

Both main characters were likable and I could see how they could fall for each other in such a short time. It didn't feel like insta-love to me. The side story between Grant and Maya was also good. I was rooting for them too.

The one thing I wasn't crazy about was the conflict in this love story. I'm not sure I liked what Brooke told Seth during their argument either. But, overall, it was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

FROM THIS DAY FORWARD

Now Available!

“Layne packs as much into this sexually charged and emotionally intense novella (an introduction to her upcoming Wedding Belles series) as most authors do in a full novel…The heat between [Leah & Jason] is enough to melt steel, and the emotional connection and psychological struggles will keep readers engaged.”

—Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW (From This Day Forward)

“[From This Day Forward] is trope-nip to me. Weddings/wedding planners, check. Second chances, check. Sassy heroine, check…As this book is the prequel to the forthcoming Wedding Belles, I cannot wait to get all of their stories!...From This Day Forward is 100% recommended for anyone who likes stories about weddings, stories about people who are a really good at their jobs, relationships that are a tad explosive both in and out of bed, and introductions to new tribes of characters to get to know over the next few books.”

—Fresh Fiction “Fresh Pick” (From This Day Forward)

“From This Day Forward is a delightful book. Now I can't wait for the other ones in this series…Lauren Layne hit it right on the nose on what goes on behind the scenes…Can Jason and Leah see wedding bells in their future? We can only hope and wait for the next book in the “Wedding Belles” series. From This Day Forward was a great kick-off to the series.”

—Fresh Fiction (From This Day Forward)

And don't miss:

Lauren Layne is the USA Today bestselling author of the Sex, Love, and Stiletto contemporary romances and the all-new Pocket Books series The Wedding Belles. She lives in New York with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. Visit laurenlayne.com, meet the author on Facebook at LaurenLayneAuthor, or follow her on Twitter @_LaurenLayne.

We are excited to do a Wedding Belles Bouquet Giveaway to celebrate the publication of the first in the series, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD. The Wedding Belles Bouquet will include To Have and to Hold (7/26), For Better or Worse (8/30), and To Love and to Cherish (10/18). You can visit all sites on the blog tour to enter to win the Wedding Belles Bouquets – but keep in mind you can only win once! U.S. only. Each winner will receive one copy of each book during the week of its publication date.

For a chance to win, just leave a blog post comment below.US only
Giveaway ends 8/1/16

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Indebted to a local crime boss thanks to their father’s gambling debts, mechanic Joe Colton and his brother have been forced to steal cars for three soul-killing years. But when Joe saves the man’s niece from police – the same deliciously hot-blooded woman sabotaging their efforts to clear the debt – it’s time to negotiate new terms. And discover why, that one night, she burned him with a kiss then ran…Darcey Connors will do anything to get her baby brother away from the criminals in her family – even screw up a good man’s life. Yet in the midst of tailing Joe, she somehow falls hard for the sexy tattooed car thief. Nothing can happen between them, but she owes him big time, and if he’s going it alone, she is going to help. As long as no one ever finds out – not Joe, her family, the police – or she could lose everything.

She did as he said, and he leaned into her, hands dropping to her goddamn ass, again. Then he hoisted her higher, so their mouths were just an inch apart.

“What are you…?”

“Kiss me.”

Joe,” she warned.

“We don’t want him calling security.”

The pulse at her neck was thudding, heavy and thick.

“We don’t have another choice,” he rasped.

Dammit. Her thigh muscles twitched before she yanked up her dress and wrapped her legs around his waist. It was either that, or let her legs dangle above the ground like a rag doll.

He sucked in a breath, then his teeth flashed in the moonlight.

“Get on with it then.” She was going for unaffected, but yeah, she wasn’t fooling anyone. Not with the way her heart was attempting to pound right out of her chest.

His nose slid along hers briefly, skin warm, the beard surrounding his lips tickling her chin, making her shiver. Then he closed the gap, soft yet firm lips pressing against hers. She had every intension of faking it, knowing all too well the dangers of kissing this man. The trouble it could get her into. But then he swiped his tongue over her lower lip, and she was—gone. Just like that, one stroke, one taste of him, the smell of his skin, the rasp of his beard against her cheek, and she was helpless to resist.

Then he did it again, and her mouth opened on a moan. His tongue slid in, tangling with hers—slow, deep, greedy licks that curled her toes. His hands tightened on her ass, squeezing, and she started to tremble. Gripping the side of his neck with one hand and fisting the lapel of his suit jacket, holding him to her, with the other, she started kissing him back. His deep groan turned her lower belly liquid. God, she was losing the battle here. Hell, who was she kidding? She’d already lost it completely.

DON'T MISS THE FIRST BOOK IN THE BOOSTED HEARTS SERIES!

He never planned on falling for the enemy…

Indebted to a local crime boss thanks to their father’s gambling debts, mechanic Joe Colton and his brother have been forced to steal cars for three soul-killing years. But when Joe saves the man’s niece from police – the same deliciously hot-blooded woman sabotaging their efforts to clear the debt – it’s time to negotiate new terms. And discover why, that one night, she burned him with a kiss then ran…Darcey Connors will do anything to get her baby brother away from the criminals in her family – even screw up a good man’s life. Yet in the midst of tailing Joe, she somehow falls hard for the sexy tattooed car thief. Nothing can happen between them, but she owes him big time, and if he’s going it alone, she is going to help. As long as no one ever finds out – not Joe, her family, the police – or she could lose everything.

Sherilee Gray writes sexy, edgy contemporary and paranormal romance. Stories full of heat and high emotion, following stubborn characters as they fight against the odds… and their happily ever after. She’s a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful NZ with her husband and their two children. When not writing or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of Cadburys Rocky Road chocolate in the other.

Lori Foster’s fantastic contemporary romance, DON’T TEMPT ME, is here! A story of how love comes along when you least expect it, be sure you order this amazing novel today!

Love comes along when it's least wanted

Jason Guthrie has no time for entanglements—between helping out his widowed brother and teenage nephew and getting his hometown back on its feet, his days are spoken for. But his nights are another story… And when his lovely new neighbor, Honor Brown, reluctantly accepts his help in remodeling her house, Jason finds himself wishing his handyman skills could knock down the defenses she keeps building around herself.

Martial arts teacher Sullivan Dean knows real danger when he sees it—even when it takes the form of the gorgeous blonde helping her friend move in across the street. After putting his wayward past behind him to focus on teaching control to troubled kids, Sullivan has learned to avoid party girls like Lexie Perkins. But Sullivan can't seem to keep his hands off the real woman behind that flirty charm—or keep his heart from landing at her feet…

"It's lust at first sight and a double romance in this new novel of neighbors helping neighbors by the prolific Foster"—Kirkus

Needing a new focus, he returned to the window. Earlier, Honor had been painting. Two at a time she’d carried in cans of paint from her car, getting soaked in the process. At this rate, the whole house probably had a fresh coat. He wondered at her color choices. Was she a bold primary kind of girl, or soft pastels? A continuous color like this house, or a rainbow of hues, each room different?

He’d bet on the rainbow.

A few minutes later when Honor’s front door opened, Hogan was already gone. Propping a shoulder on the window frame, Jason watched her as she stepped out, locked the door and double-checked it.

Smart.

She wore skinny jeans, sandals, and an oversized top that mostly concealed her figure. Before stepping off her rickety porch she opened an umbrella—one that sported wide, bold stripes in every color imaginable.

Yup, rainbow colors.

He’d like to see the progress she’d made inside the house, but just as the rains had kept her inside, they’d kept him away from the yard. He’d worked either inside his garage or not at all. Probably for the best. If he got inside her house and saw her workload, he’d want to help. He and his nephew were alike that way. But she’d already made it clear that his help was unwanted.

As Honor darted into the rain and to her car, he tracked her every move, and nodded.

Trouble—with a capital T.

Hours later, as Jason lay in the dark trying to sleep, he heard her pull in to the driveway. Her headlights cut across his window, briefly illuminating his room before she turned them off. She didn’t slam her car door, but the sound of it closing echoed over the quiet streets. He glanced at the clock and saw it was 2:00 a.m.

Without giving it much thought, he threw back the sheet and strode to the window to look out. He had a better view from his dining room, with that view directly facing her front porch, but he was naked, so he stayed in his bedroom and lifted aside the curtain.

Sometime during the night the rain had stopped. Black clouds parted and moon shadows danced over the yard. The fain glow of her porch light showed the exhaustion visible in every line of her body. At the bottom step of the porch she paused and looked up, staring at the skinny crescent moon for a very long time.

While Jason stared at her.

His heart beat heavily and he felt unfamiliar things, things that only partially involved lust. Every day for a week he’d thought about her, watched for her, worried over her situation.

He wanted to lend a hand. It went against his nature not to. But she’d been pretty clear on her preferences.

Finally she lowered her head, rubbed at her eyes, then trudged up the steps and, after fumbling at her door for longer than should have been necessary, she went in.

Telling himself he’d only watch to ensure that she got inside safely, Jason waited.

Lights came on as she walked through the house to the kitchen, then out again when she went to her bedroom

She must have undressed in the dark.

When all stayed quiet, Jason decided she’d gone to bed.

After a deep breath he dropped the curtain and did the same.

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN. Visit her online at LoriFoster.com.

Don't miss this latest novel in the Infidelity series from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig. The classic twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions will have readers on the edge of their seats, discovering answers that continue to pose questions. Be ready to swoon one minute and scream the next.

Have you been Aleatha'd?

ENTRAPMENT is the fourth of five full-length novels in the INFIDELITY series: Betrayal, Cunning, Deception, Entrapment, and Fidelity.

One week. No future. No past. No more. Alexandria Collins has one week to live carefree—no ghosts of her past or pressures of her future haunting her. Reinventing herself as "Charli," she is knocked off her feet by a sexy, mysterious man who brings her pleasure like she never imagined. With her heart at stake, she forgets that decisions made in the dark of night reappear in the bright light of day. "Some of my tastes are unique. They aren’t for everyone. I understand that.” Lennox "Nox" Demetri is wealthy, confident, and decisive—he knows what he wants. From the first time he sees Charli at an exclusive resort, he knows he wants her. Although he is usually the one to make the rules, together they agree on one: One week. No more. When betrayal comes from those closest to Alexandria, she must decide how far she is willing to go to survive. Choices are not always easy, especially when they involve the heart, body, and soul. After all, Infidelity is a business, and some rules are meant to be broken. "Is it really cheating if you're doing it to yourself?" From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants, and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, this new epic dark romance will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next. Have you been Aleatha'd? BETRAYAL is a full-length novel and the first of five in the INFIDELITY series.

"He owns you. Whatever he tells you to do you do".One year. No future. A past that won't go away. Lennox "Nox" Demetri broke his own rule by making a deal. It may not have been directly with the devil, but that doesn't mean Satan himself isn't watching. Was it fate that brought Charli into his life and his bed? What will happen when rules are broken and secrets are revealed? "New rules...my rules." Alex "Charli" Collins found pleasure with Nox like she'd never known. That was before she knew his last name. Now that Infidelity is involved and the rules have changed, what will result when real life and fantasy collide? Is it really cheating if you're doing it to yourself? From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists, turns, deceptions, and devotions, the depth of this new, epic dark romance reaches new levels and will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next. Have you been Aleatha'd? CUNNING is a full-length novel, 360 pages, and the second of five books in the INFIDELITY series. Infidelity - it isn't what you think.

DECEPTION, book THREE of FIVE in Aleatha Romig's INFIDELITY series. "Infidelity - it isn't what you think" It all began in Del Mar, a chance meeting with a single rule--one week only. Or did it? Lennox ‘Nox’ Demetri and Alexandria ‘Charli’ Collins had every intention of following it but rules are made to be broken. In CUNNING they are reunited with Nox setting down new rules for the game and Charli having no choice but to follow them. Now, once again, the game has changed. Nox and Charli’s hot sensual encounter has grown into something more but it is threatened with secrets and regrets. Is it their love and intense sexual chemistry that’s pushing them together or something darker, a puppetmaster behind the scenes pulling the strings on their love affair? Shadowy villains lurk around each corner and everyone is suspect as Nox’s and Charli's pasts collide with the present and threaten to compel them back to their predestined fates. Can deals brokered in the past be negated by something as pure as love and as steamy as the attraction shared by Nox and Charli? Or was it all a deception—starting with that very first meeting? From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a sexy, new dominant hero who knows what he wants and a strong-willed heroine who has plans of her own. With classic Aleatha Romig twists and turns, the depth of this epic romantic suspense continues to reach new levels as past and present intertwine. The Infidelity series will have readers swooning one minute and screaming the next. Have you been Aleatha'd? DECEPTION is a full-length novel, over 300 pages, and the third of five books in the INFIDELITY series - It isn't what you think! (This series is not about nor does it advocate or condone cheating)

Aleatha Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams! Aleatha released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011 through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These standalone thrillers continue Aleatha's twisted style with an increase in heat. In the fall of 2015, Aleatha will move head first into the world of dark romance with the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series. Aleatha is a "Published Author's Network" member of the Romance Writers of America and represented by Danielle Egan-Miller of Browne & Miller Literary Associates.